


Eleusis

by BarbarafromGR



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Female Severus Snape, Fluff, Genderbending, Happy Ending, Mythology References, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:14:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29071590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarbarafromGR/pseuds/BarbarafromGR
Summary: A mythic chase between a hound and a fox that echoes through the eons.With my favorite otp.There will be smut eventually.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Severus Snape
Comments: 28
Kudos: 63





	1. Myth part 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing anything online,but I got inspired by other authors so I decided to take the plunge.

_"Once upon a time,the Grecian land was a home to many deities,beings and beasts.Humans walked alongside them and befriended them,and in return they gave boons and swore fealty._

_One of those beasts was Sirius-"_

"That's me!"

"Shush,Siri!Go on Kreacher."

"Thank you master Regulus."

 _"One of those beasts was Sirius,a majestic black dog,that was a descedant of one of Ares's loyal hounds,gifted to his daughter Harmonia upon her marriage to a mortal warlord.Their descedant was Orion-"_ ,"Dad", _"-an accomplished hunter and unparalleled tracker.Orion was a favorite of the goddess of the hunt,Artemis,as she had taught him the secrets and rules one must conform to,in order to be a successful hunter.He was a strapping young man with broad shoulders to carry his fallen prey and sharp grey eyes that could navigate forests in the dark._

_He was coveted by the young women in his town,and while he may have indulged their attentions in his younger years,he was getting more interested in his divine teacher.Sadly,while Artemis may have looked back at him with the same interest,and even contemplated forsaking her Vow of Chastity,given to her father Zeus,an action that would have heinous consequences,her twin brother Apollo wasn't as frivolous with his sister's life._

_One misty morning,when Artemis and Orion had promised to meet for their monthly quest,Apollo appeared before his sister as she was waiting.He taunted her skills,claiming they had gone rusty due to her infatuation and needed a human to hunt.He insulted her by betting that not only was she unable to hunt in the night as she used to,but that her sight had gone so flawed she would be unable to shoot a target in the mist of the morning dew._

_The young goddess,affronted,dared her brother to pick the smallest and farthest target he could find in order to prove him wrong.The god of sun's eyes lit with triumph over his imminent victory while he pointed at a moving spot in the river,nearly lost in the reflection of the water and the mist._

_Artemis,filled with rage and unaware of the tragedy awaiting her in the next moment,readied her bronze bow and nocked her elder wood arrow in it.She pulled back and then she let loose.The spot wavered and then sunk._

_At that moment,a mournful howl sundered the air,so harrowing it brought tears to the goddess's eyes as she realized exactly what she had struck.For she knew that howl.Her favorite mortal's dog,Sirius,had howled when his owner had gotten sick from a snake bite and thought him lost,only to recover due to her assistance and knowledge of healing herbs._

_But Orion would not recover now.He was struck dead by an elder wood arrow,specially crafted by Hephaestus to kill the heart of anything they pierced.And her aim was true.Her beloved had fallen by her own hand._

_With a cry that rivaled the dog's,she turned to her brother with eyes filled with accusation and grief."You knew",was all she said._

_"Knew that you would forsake your vow,immortality and godhood for a mortal.Yes,sister,I Saw it in my dream last night.And the consequences of your action.You have no idea what I prevented."_

_"I don't care.I would have taken a day of happiness with him rather than the eternity lf grief you have gifted unto me."And she whirled away from him ready to go find the body of her beloved._

_"It would have been more that a day."She turned to him again."He would have made you happy,he said.You would have been happy and content with the life you would have built.The Hunters.And when you gave him children you would have been the envy of all,with their divine looks and skills they would have gotten from their parents._

_You would have been happy for a whole lifetime."_

_She looked at him with eyes both ancient and child-young."You needn't an arrow to strike my heart with brother,for you words are more than capable of inflicting injury.Why are you telling me this now,when there is no longer a possibility of that happiness?"She asked and started walking towards the rivershore,where there was whimpering drifting through the air._

_He followed after her,and a few moments later he voice came at her,soflty."You were not the first to fall in love with one of them sister.But...you would have been the first to make it work".He hesitated."Because of you others would have followed and fallen and Olympus woould have been emptied out of the gods that give it power."_

_She had nearly reached the spot where she could see the four-legged beast trying to enter the water to go to his master that had sunk in its delths._

_"So?",she scoffed._

_"So?You forgot already the price we paid to acquire it?The toll we had to pay to evict those things that came before us?Without us in Olympus,something else will take our place."_

_"A sacrifice",she whispered horrified,both with realization and because she had caught sight of her human companion's body._

_"Our power did not come without its cost and it will nor remain should we disrespect it.Orion would have been the catalyst to a catastrophe no soul ever wants to contemplate",said the god of premonitions,as he watched her starting to wade through the water._

_When the_ _water was waist-high and she had reached Orion's now cold body,she straightened her shoulders and replied without looking at Apollo._

_"You have taught me two great lessons today brother,and so I have two to teach you in recompense when the time comes",she said with a voice of a thousand widowed crones."The first lesson you taught me today was,that the things you love can and will be taken from you",she mourned as she turned Orion's body upside._

_"W-what is the second one?"he asked,dreading the answer._

_"The ones you love can and will betray you",she replied with eyes that burned green,green unlike the color of fresh grass they usually resembled.No,their color now,was more akin to the emerald fires of Phlegethon,the river of fire in the Underworld,where dead gods were sent to be returned to the Great Mother through the flames of her bowels.Apollo had been there once,to rest the body of his and Artemis's mother,Leto,when her time had come.The memory sent a pang through his ribcage._

"What does Artemis want to teach her brother?"

"Patience,master Sirius".Replied the elf.

_He braced himself for the final question."Dare I ask",he paused,"what are the lessons **you** wish to impart on me?",he queried while looking at her carrying the mortal's body outside the water,navigating around the bear-like dog that was snivelling at her feet.How many of his lovers' bodies had he carried to their final resting place?,he wondered.Far too many,whispered his heart._

_She took her time answering him as she started dressing her mortal,Orion,he corrected in his head.He should remember the name.His sister would not forget._

_"The first lesson I will bestow upon you brother,is to not take the lives of those who don't deserve it.Today you took a good life.A life that would have spawned others",she grieved with the yearning of a bereft mother.A mother she would never be.Because of him._

_"As for the second...well,we have both walked these lands and have seen far too much to ever underestimate the power of Love.Not the frivolous lust that Aphrodire peddles to the hapless idiots above and below.True love,the kind that made the Death God himself offer half his soul and kingdom to make the Kore,Queen of the Underworld and pierces the veil of Death and swims through the sands of Time to reach its destination",she offered with an airy dreamlike haze to her eyes,that reminded him with a growing sense of horror of his oracles in Delphi._

_"The House of Gods **will** fall when the Great War starts and the mortals pick a side for the Greek stolen bride," she finished and continued tending to her fallen almost lover,while his grieving pet laid down beside him and her brother was petrified across from her._

"I want to know what happened to the dog,not this yucky,boring stuff." Whined the older boy.

"I want to know all the story", shot back the younger one and smiled timidly at the house-elf."Please?"

The elf,getting on with his years even then had learned how to appease the Blacks he had served with mastery and dexterity,and so he continued the tale from the _Book of Lost Myths and Lore,_ by Eugenia Mavrogenous,a famous graduate from the Olympian Academy of Magic in the hidden island of Kekleistos.

_"Sirius the Dog,was playing in the shallows,when the mist started descending,though he did not pay it any attention as he was more focused on chasing the sparkly iridescent fish running around his paws..."_


	2. Myth part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of Sirius the Dog

_"Sirius the Dog,was playing in the shallows,when the mist started descending,though he did not pay it any attention as he was more focused on chasing the sparkly iridescent fish running around his paws than the tragedy about to occur._

_He and his Friend,Orion,though he preferred to call him Friend,were going to go on a hunt for some birds that were rumored to breathe fire and devour innocent cattle.Sirius himself,thanks to the divine Hounds he was descended from,was partially resistant to fire,hence why his Friend decided to bring him along._

_His Friend had gone on about how the other companion would be joining them too,the female with the glowing eyes,that always unsettled Sirius whenever he looked at them too long.She smelled like a young woman and an old warrior at the same time,and Sirius didn't want to think too much of why either.But,his Friend always smelled happy when he saw her and when they hunted together,and lately he noticed his Friend smelling like he did when he was chasing after the young women in the village._

_That morning was going to be the beginning of their hunt and his Friend decided to bathe in the river before he met his female friend.Sirius even took a dip and then started playing near the shore with the fish,and also because the ground of the river was warm against his paws._

_His cocked his ear when he heard a female voice drifting through the wind,but did not lift his head as he recognised the cadence as the one of his Friend's friend.He did lift his head though,when he heard the drag of an arrow against string though it was too late by then._

_He saw the wood piercing his Friend's chest and the look of bewilderment on his face before he glanced downwards and smiled a bitter smile as he staggered a little and then sunk into the water._

_Sirius,who had frozen momentarily in disbelief,started howling for help fro anyone and everyone who could help his Friend.He did not understand that he had already lost him,and that there was nothing to be done for a soul currently on the way to the Underworld._

_He was howling and jumping in the water trying to get to his Friend to do something,anything!_

_So consumed was he in his frenzy he did not notice the two figures striding towards him,one in anger and grief and the other in guilt._

_Sirius only deigned to look back,when he noticed the female wade in the water and recover his Friend.He waited until she laid him down on the dry ground and then stuck his snout to his face and started crying anew when he did not feel a breath coming out.He laid his head on his Friend's chest and turned to mewling like a puppy when he could bot hear a beat.Accepting that he lost his Friend he left his head there and continued crying despite the female fussing above him._

_He lifted his head only when he heard the male voice._

_"And what of his hound?What will you do with him?"_

_"I will take him with me to Olympus.Ares has a pack of hounds and this one's grandsire was born from a pair of them.He will find a new place."_

_Sirius was offended they did not seem to care for what he wanted,though waht he wabted was his Friend back and he knew he could not have that._

_Suddenly,he felt gentle fingers stroking his head and he looked up.The female was looking at him with eyes green infused with amber,and with the whites glowing around them.He winced but forced himself to look at them directly.She started talking to him._

_"He is gone now.I cannot bring him back.I am forbidden from attempting to anyway.I don't have anything to give you for his loss,but a new home.Would you like that?"_

_Sirius didn't have anywhere else to go either,so ge chose to go with the female that his Friend had loved.He looked into her eyes and let her see his wish.Gazing back,she nodded and then stood._

_"It's time for you to go brother.I have a pyre to build".She said and started to go towards the forest in order to gather wood branches.Sirius forced himself to his legs and went with her._

_The male behind her looked at her and pleadingly,and when he got nothing but indifference in return closed his eyes and was gone between a blink of the dog.He went after the leggy female and watched her as she stopped within a few feet inside of the forest and then went to her knees and put her hands to her face.Sirius,had known the smell of grief from very young,when he was but a pup and his Friend had lost a little sister.So,he gathered his courage and went to offer what comfort he could to the glowy eyed woman._

_Artemis glanced up when she felt the dog licking her tears and after a moment threw her arms around him and sobbed.Eventually,she got back up and started to do what she had intended to.She used her ability to cut trees,and gathered everything she needed.She strode back to the neach and began to assemble the funeral pyre while tears were running down her face.It took a long time as she did it by hand,but by noon she had finished.Then,she took a fortifying breath and turned to the still body awaiting to be burned._

_She summoned cleansing oils from her bedroom in Olympus,to rid his body of the blood and then annointed him with purifying oils and herbs from the forest in order to make his crossing over as smooth as possible.Once that was done,she covered and wrapped him with the lushest and most luxurious robe that she had,a gift handwoven from Athena,after she swore her Vow of Chastity.After,she laid him on top of the pyre and stepped back to look around.She took Orion's belt,and plucked two of the three black stones that were embedded into it.She remembered giving him this gift._

_They were stones taken from the river Styx,the immortal underworld river that Gods swore oaths to and suffered untold torment should they break them.She had sneaked them into her robe when she swore allegiance to Zeus,the God of Gods before their battle and victory against the Titans.They turned out to have different properties when they were used above ground,but she did not care for them.Orion however,had treasured them,for they allowed him to cross over in spirit in the nights when the moon was fullest and spend time with his sister in the afterlife.With her heart burning,she thought he would be there forever,never coming back at dawn._

_She placed the two stones on his closed eye lids and then after a moment of deliberation,she threw the third one in the river,along with the cursed arrow that had pierced his chest with and removed,all by her own hand._

_She turned back to the pyre and with an intense look in her eyes the wood burst into flames.The dog jumped slightly beside her,where it had remained deathly silent throughout the entire process._

_Sirius saw his Friend engulfed in flames and let out one last mournful howl as the figure at the top was consumed,never to be seen again._

_*_

_After the next day's sun had risen,the goddess finally moved from her spot and went towards the smoldering ashes.She grabbed some with her naked hand and placed them inside a ceramic cylinder that prompty dissappeared.Wordlessly,she went back to the dog and held out her hand._

_Sirius put his paw inside it and the next moment they were in an entirely different place.The power used for such a sudden movement made him whine in distress.The female looked apologetic as she turned to him._

_"Sorry about that.I forgot mortal beings and beasts don't take kindly to such methods of transportation"._

_The dog looked around at the foreign surroundings.Everything was made from some sort of stone that was cold under his paws,but was run through some sort of current that made it buzz slightly.The air had an electric feel to it that set his teeth on edge and made his fur stand up all over his body.He pressed closer to the female's legs.This was not a place that made him want to explore._

_He moved only when she moved,though he could not help himself from looking around.The ceiling didn't look like a ceiling,but the night sky itself,with the most prominent stars shining brightly.His canine brain could not reconcile how the outside sky was inside a building,therefore he swung his gaze away just in time to see a set of ornate double doors leading out._

_The outside made even less sense that the inside,as there were four paths leading to four different big houses or temples,as he had heard humans call them.Each path had different characteristics,though the one they went on was the least welcoming._

_The land was both dry from the oppressive heat and wet from patches that he realised was blood,and he looked up at the female,though she seemed intent on her destination.As they traversed the path,the dog noticed other details from the environment,like the wooden sticks with human heads on them,expressions forever immortalised in horror,or the smell of anguish and despair that tickled the deepest survival insticts Sirius possessed._

_Finally,after what felt like an eternity to the dog they reached the big house,whose dark metallic door swung open with a shriek that flattened Sirius's ears.They walked in and waited.Faintly,Sirius could hear the stomping of boots coming nearer.A few heartbeats later,a tall figure passed from a dark corridor on the left and looked upon them with amusement._

_"I though your preferred animal was the deer,little sister,or am I mistaken?" He asked as he started stripping from his blood red and onyx armor._

_"Indeed they are,although I am not here for my sake."_

_"Oh no?Pray tell,what necessity has driven you to venture all the way out to my house?" He questioned while he went to the corner and started washing his hands from the blood that was staining them._

_"This animal is the progeny from a pair of hounds you had gifted Harmonia with,or am I mistaken?" She returned his question with a taunting tone._

_The god walked over to them and then bent a bit to look into the dog's eyes.Sirius was alarmed to discover that he had eyes like the blood his paws had treaded on outside and turned his gaze away quickly.A hand reached out lightning quick and grabbed his snout.He was forced to look back into those spine-cringing eyes as they bore into his being.Sirius noticed that underneath the smell of blood and death,he smelled like flowers.The dog got a perplexed expression as he did not remember anything remotely lookig like flowers in such a dreary place._

_"He is more of a dog than a hound now,considering his late ancestry.What did you bring him here for?" Ares asked as he got to his feet and went to sit on a throne like chair,made from bones of his fallen enemies._

_"I am unable to take care of him and I know you have a pack.Perhaps there is a place for an extra snout in there?" Artemis tentatively asked the cantankerous god._

_"And what would you give me in return?" He shot back with a calculating smile on his face._

_"I possess nothing useful that you could not take from someone else by force"._

_"On the contrary,a divine Vow requires your free will and cooperation.I want you to take an oath,that you will not under any circumstances,tricks or torture,reveal what you discovered last full moon".He growled while looking at his sister with eyes that knew how to extract immense pain from their victims._

_Artemis sighed,and with a long stare at the dog,turned back to her half-brother."You swear you will take care of him if I do?"_

_"Upon the river Styx,I do",he swore._

_"I,Artemis,trueborn daughter of Zeus and Leto,swear upon the river and waters of Styx,that I will not reveal under any circumstances,means of coercion,tricks or threats of death,the secret of my brother that I discovered last full moon.So mote it be"._

_Artemis declared with a resonating voice that echoed through the chamber.She then turned to the dog,and peered at his eyes.He gazed back and understood that they would be parting and it would be a while before they saw each other again.She pet him on his back and with a kiss to his head she turned on her heel and strode to the door they had entered from._

_Sirius turned back to the new person he would be following now.He resolutely refused to think of his departed Friend._

_With some difficulty,he looked into those ruby eyes and gave a questioning 'boof?'_

_Ares grinned at him with sharp teeth and responded._

_"Ready to meet the family?"_


	3. Myth part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of Sirius and Laelapa part 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Laelapa:whirlwind of fire
> 
> In modern times,it's used in Greece to describe the destruction of large quantities of land by forest fire.

_He was watching them from outside the circle of violence._

_Sirius couldn't help but find the sight abhorrent.These hounds had been vaunted for their superior abilities,and yet they behaved like the very beasts he used to hunt with his Friend.They tore through the flesh of the enemies the god had tossed at them,completely ignoring their screams of mercy._

_Sirius was born from the grandson of a pair of these beasts,but couldn't fail to find only differences whenever he looked for similarities.Their bloodlust was immense and their intelligence diminished.He discovered this the first and only time he tried to communicate with them through the eyes.He felt a shiver pass through him from head to tail at the memory of what he glimpsed at.They were so far gone they didn't even have names._

_He was pulled from his musings when he heard the now familiar sound of boots.The hounds ignored it but Sirius stood at attention.Ares gave a pleased smile at his newest pet as he entered the yard and told him._

_"Come along.There is someone who requires your services." And turned to walk away.Sirius trotted beside him as they went on the lath away from the kennel and the god's temple it belonged to.They reached the juction of the paths and turned to take the second to the left._

_That one was only slightly more welcoming than Ares',but only for the fact that it wasn't soaked with blood or had human remains.Instead,on one side of the road laid broken armors,swords,spears and other incomprehensible objects,and on the other laid beautiful pieces of jewellery,craftmanship and weaponry.Even as a dog,Sirius could tell the difference between failres and successes._

_The god didn't seem to take in his surroundings,completely ignoring the side of the failures and occasionally peering twice at a piece of armor or weapon he found interesting.He didn't stop to wander though,but carried on until they reached the big house at the end of the path._

_This big house was made of a yellow metal, that Sirius knew was called gold and that humans waged wars to acquire because they valued it too much,and a strange iridescent kind of glass,that reminded Sirius of the fish he was playing with right before his Friend...he couldn't bear to finish the thought,therefore he focused back on his environment.They were just approaching the door when it was opened by a being that made Sirius pause._

_This person looked like a human teenager and was dressed as one,only he?she?it? was made of metal.It ushered them in and straight through a parlor that was filled with all kinds of knick knacks and objects.Ares took a a seat on an ornately decorated armchair and waited.Sirius went beside him and sat on his haunches.Not a moment later,a dish appeared before him with a juicy steak that smelled of pig and a bowl of water next to it.He looked up at his current master and once he got a nod of approval he dug in._

_"At least this isn't a salivating beast like the rest of your pack".A voice echoed around them.Sirius,having finished already,perked his ears up and looked around trying to find the source of the voice._

_A noice sounded,like a chain being dragged,and the wall behind Sirius and Ares collapsed against itself to reveal a corridor leading who knows where.The most interesting thing was what came out._

_It was a being like all the others that resided in this plane of existence with eyes that glowed red like Ares',only they had golden flakes in them and shone with curiosity,rather than malice.He also had a more unkempt appearance,with a beard that framed the lower half of his face and soot covered his torso and upper arms.He came forward and Sirius saw that he had a slight limp on his left foot,although it was encased in a metal contraption._

_"Hephaestus.It's nice not to wait two hours for our meeting this time.I have brought the brightest and smartest of the pack as you requested.I only acquiesced to your demand because you said you would make it worth my while"._

_Sirius watched as Hephaestus-he would be Stu from now on-,as Stu went to sit next to a bench._

_"The reason I wanted your brightest and smartest is because what I want caught isn't to be killed and torn apart like the rest of the prey your pack sets their sights on.You've fed them so much human flesh,they've lost the ability to reason"._

_Ares made a motion with his hand to continue.Stu stood up and pointed to the way he had come,with the door remaining open after him.With a put upon expression,Ares followed.Sirius was behind him._

_The end of the corridor turned out to be the entrance to a cavern-like forge with different tables containing projects in various stages of construction.Stu had reached the top left corner from where they had entered,and was peering down at an open black box.No,not a box,decided Sirius.A nest,as it opened at the side instead at the top.He looked up._

_"My friend disappeared three days ago.I know it was three days as I was away during the full moon and had instrucred my helpers to bring her food while I was away."_

_"She?"_

_"Laelapa.She is a fox,a very special fox,special the way your pet there is special.She was cursed and now she keeps the forges hot and burning while I'm away."_

_"What do you want from me?"_

_"I want your friend there to bring her back to me. **Alive and whole** ,of course.Not a half eaten chew toy the others would have brought."_

_Ares smirked at him."That help comes with a price."_

_"How could I forget?Which one do you want?"_

_"I heard you have boots that mask the wearer's footsteps.Those are my price."_

_Stu pointed to the table next to Ares and a pair of shin-high black boots appeared.He glanced at them and then turned to Sirius._

_"Don't dissapoint me". He said and,after vanishing the boots with a handwave strode away._

_Sirius watched him go and wondered if there would be a person out there that would not leave him and walk away.'My Friend would have never abandoned me'.He pushed the thought out of his mind.He looked back at the limping god in front of him._

_"Well,go on then.Don't you need her scent or whatnot?Why are you looking at me?"_

_Sirius padded to the open nest and glance inside.Similar to his nest back at the kennel,only there were dried flowers here beside the blanket on the floor.He moved closer and stuck his snout in it.Immediately,his nose was assaulted by various smells._

_The most prevalent was the smell of sandalwood smoke,a fragrant wood that his Friend liked to burn to make his home smell nice.After that,came the conflicting scents of both woman and female fox,which confused him as he didn't know how something could be both.Lastly,came the familiar scent of loneliness and sadness,emotions whose smell he recognised as his nest smelled like those and drove the other hounds away._ _He popped back out and looked at Stu alert and ready to go._

_"She has been causing all kinds of havoc on earth,burning lands and drying rivers.I want her found before the other gods decide to retaliate by taking her life in revenge.I will send you to the last place she's been.Be careful,for she has mastered fire and can and will hurt you.She had already taken out the mortal hounds sent after her.I hope you are not scared of fire"._

_Sirius readied himself for what he knew would be an uncomfortable trip._

_"Good luck"._


	4. The first train ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seraphina:the fiery one,derived from the angelic entities called seraphim that were lit with holy fire and proclaimed the glory of God.

Her hands were clammy as she gazed around the platform but her expression was one of indifference as she neared the train next to her mother.She could hear Lily arguing with her sister behind them but didn't pay them any mind.Their arguments had been getting more frequent the closer the date approached to the 1rst of september.

She laid down her trunk as her mother slowed down and turned to face her,placing her hands on Seraphina's shoulders while looking deep into her eyes.Pitch black orbs surrounded by light wrinkles,studied the younger pair staring back at her with apprehension.

"I've taught you everything I know although it might not be enough.I wish I had more to give you.Remember our lessons but if you find yourself in a tight spot...well,you have your father's training to fall back on." Eileen grimaced. "But only in extreme cases."

"Yes,mum". Seraphina nodded,feeling the weight of the dagger at her lower back.Would anyone be able to tell she had a muggle weapon on her?What was the point of it when she had a wand to defend herself with,like a proper witch?Still,she recalled her father always going on about having spare weapons on her body,for all scenarios.

With a hug that lasted too short for Seraphina's liking,and a caress to her midnight hair,Eileen left her daughter and went to wait by the wall leading back to the muggle world and their train station.The Evans girls had finished their semi-hushed argument,without resolving anythin it seemed,due to their expressions,and Lily went to her parents.With teary and proud smiles,the Evans family departed and Lily walked to Seraphina's sidewith her trunk in tow.Her face was flushed due to her recent confrontation with her sister,but that only made her jade eyes stand out more.

"Ready to get on board?" she asked.Seraphina gave her a wide grin and a nod and they scampered onto the train with their luggage.

*

He was brimming with anticipation while he walked next to his parents and brother.The Blacks had put on their best day robes for the occasion of sending their firstborn and heir to Hogwarts.They looked resplendent and remote as they refused to mingle with their inferiors,choosing to stand far enough from the milling crowd due to their disdain,but near enough to be admired and envied.'Image was all they cared about',Sirius thought with a scoff.Still,his brother Regulus didn't seem to care about that just yet,as he held onto Sirius's hand until they paused.

Orion Black turned to his son."You know how to make this family proud,son.Don't disgrace our name".He didn't offer any gestures of encouragement or any physical affection at all.

His mother,Walburga,had a few words to impart on her firstborn as well."There's been enough people shaming our family recently". She said.She was referring to the Andromeda Affair,that had scandalized the upper echelons of pureblood aristocracy and was still talked about,though not when Blacks were present.

Andy,Sirius recalled,had fallen in love with a muggleborn while at Hogwarts and kept it secret for two years,while her family had been planning to marry her off to one of the Selwyns.He had discovered her secret when he caught her receiving a letter by owl,during the last Yule holidays the two Black families had spent together.She gave him the details after she had swore him to secrecy,like a true slytherin.And like a true slytherin,she had waited until it was convenient for her to leave,taking a portion of Black gold from the vaults and her NEWTs results,that helped her get an apprenticeship at St.Mungo's.He hadn't heard anything else from her,due to her disownment,Sirius thought morose.

"I expect you'll behave yourself accordingly and surround yourself with people befitting our station.Of course,there will be no associating with mudbloods-",she glanced with a sneer to a family of four that had two young girls,one redhead and one brunette arguing with each other."-or other individuals of ill-repute".She finished while gripping his left shoulder.

But Sirius wasn't paying attention anymore.Someone else was watching the two girls arguing while standing near the Hogwarts Express.A girl,the same age as him,Sirius guessed,was conversing with a woman who could only be her mother due to the similarity in looks.She was too far away for Sirius to distinguish any more details,but he did notice the battered trunk and the handmade and simplistic clothes they both wore.What struck Sirius as odd,however was that his father was looking at the mother-daughter pair as well.

"-Do you understand?" Walburga asked with a tone that snapped Sirius back into focus."I do,mother",he responded.

"We'll see",she said and leisurely moved towards the wall with Regulus's hand in hers,not having allowed the brothers to say their goodbyes or express any emotion that would make them similar to the families around them.After a brief pause,Orion Black moved away following his wife.

Sirius sighed and climbed onto the train with his trunk in hand.

*

Seraphina was listening intently while Lily replayed the whole argument with her sister.She had learned long ago to let her friend vent out her frustrations before making any suggestions,if only to stave off any more of Lily's anger.She was winding down her tale,when two boys burst in their compartment.One had messy hair and was wearing glasses,while the other had elegant dark brown waves and grey eyes,with an unsonscious look of superiority in his gait that immediately put Serpahina on high alert.

"Can we sit here?Everywhere else is full",asked the messy haired one.The other boy was simply looking at Seraphina.Lily nodded yes with a smile,excited to meet other magical people.

The two boys sorted out their trunks and sat down next to the girls."I'm James Potter",introduced himself the first boy and shook hands with Lily and then Seraphina."I'm Lily Evans",her friend said,"and that's Seraphina Snape",while gesturing to her.

"And I'm Sirius Black,at your service",introduced himself the second boy,shaking hands with Lily and extending it after to Seraphina,who gave hers reluctantly.At the touch of their hands a red spark flew off,and Sirius gripped her hand for a moment before releasing it.He turned to her and tried to meet her eyes while opening his mouth to speak,an excited gleam in his eyes,though Seraphina prevented him from saying anything by averting her attention to Lily and engaging her in conversation.She tried to calm down her heart that was racing,after having held hands with that boy.His eyes looked abnormally bright at her.

The boy,Sirius,looked disappointed for a while,but shook it off and turned to James to talk about their collections of chocolate frog cards.

'Might as well',she thought.She had no wish for a Black in her life.Her mother's lessons came to her mind,about a family so obsessed with their image and arrogant towards those they considered beneath them.This wasn't a person whose acquaintance she wanted to make.She focused back on Lily.

"So,have you made up your mind about which house you'll get sorted in?"

"They all sound good,but I think it will probably be between gryffindor or ravenclaw for me.What about you?Still determined to get sorted in slytherin?" Lily queried.

"Who wants to be a slytherin?", shot off the Potter boy,"That's where all the snakes go".

"Well then,it's a good thing a snake is on the banner,isn't it?",drawled Seraphina.

"My whole family's been in slytherin",said Black with a quiet voice.Potter's expression turned to one of mock outrage."But maybe I'll break the tradition",Black continued with a mischievous look on his face.

"I'm sure slytherin will weep for the great loss",she mocked.

"Yes,because slytherins are known for their great and wonderful achievements to humanity",Sirius shot back getting agitated.

"I thought even an inbred lot like the Blacks would have heard the greatest wizard of all time,Merlin himself,happened to be a slytherin".Now Seraphina was getting angry.She wasn't going to let him get away with insulting her mother's house.The other two kids in the compartment were watching the volley of retorts with open mouths,while motioning at the other to break them up.

The compressed magic from the pent up emotions fizzled out when the door opened again.Another two boys,the first one tall and gangly and the second one shorter and chabby,looked at the kids inside.Seraphina got to her feet and reached for her trunk.

"Come on Lily.This place is getting crowded",she said as she brought down her trunk and not-so-accidentally,hit Sirius on the arm with it."Hey!",he started but didn't get the chance to finish,as the raven-haired girl pushed between the two new addtions and disappeared.With an apologetic look to the boys,Lily followed her friend.

*

"Phew,that was intense.What happened?",asked the new tall boy.

"Girls get emotional",shrugged the one with glasses,while the grey-eyed one was gazing at where the girls had departed.

He couldn't get her out of his head.First,it was the spark that ignited between them when they touched,that reminded him of some vague stories his uncle Alphard used recount,the ones about Black ancestors and their fated ones.He would have to send him a letter for more information,Sirius promised himself.Secondly,was her face.Not pretty in the way his cousins' were,but arresting nonetheless,with wide black eyes,a proud nose and a pouty pink mouth.Those were all distracting enough,until she started getting upset with him and her eyes got a fiery look to them that made him unable to look away.Or stop himself from riling her up further.Nobody ever said Blacks walked away from challenges.

And she certainly was one,that he couldn't figure out just yet,because the last thing that cemented what would become a lifelong obsession,was the way she left.He had never seen someone walk like that.Slinky and alert,the way he had seen cats walk when they expected to be accosted by other predators.

"-rius?Sirius?" Asked James.

"Huh?"

"I said,this Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew." James pointed to the tall and short boy respectively.

"Noce to meet you." Sirius said with a smile as he tuned back to the conversation."Who wants to play exploding snap?"

*

Lily was treading after her fuming friend as they looked for a new place to sit.

"That little wretched-who does he think he is?Mr.High and Mighty-I'll show him-",she continued while they reached the end of the car.

"Seph,let's sit somewhere.My arm's getting numb",whined Lily.

"Fine.Let's get in here.There's only one other person",said Seph and they walked inside.

"Is it alright if we sit here?" Asked Seraphina with all the politeness she could muster.Her arm was getting numb as well.

"Of course",replied the blond haired boy,already in his robes,slytherin Seph noticed and with a badge on his lapel.

"My name is Seraphina and this is Lily", she offered first.

"And I am Lucius Malfoy",said the seventh year,while gracing the girls with a kiss on the back of their knuckles and a smirk when they blushed.

'Malfoy',came another lesson of her mother's.'Moneymakers and political puppeteers.If you make friends with them you'll be set for life'.

Seraphina gave him a shy smile."Is it true that you can see mermaids from the Slytherin windows?"

Tbc


	5. 5th year Slug-club Christmas Party part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shifting tides

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be Sirius' pov.
> 
> Please read end note.

His hand was clenching the glass so hard he was surprised it hadn't shattered,though he didn't pay it any mind as his eyes were too busy tracking _her_ across the room,as she danced in the arms of Evan Rosier.

His date,a sixth year blonde Ravenclaw said something about going to greet a friend,but he registered nothing as he heard _her_ laughter ring throughout the gathering before she stifled it with a hand against her blushing face.Rosier's hand was on _her_ lower back,and he leant down to whisper something against _her_ ear,a gesture that had Sirius' lips pressing together with a curl of distaste.

He was supposed to have a good time tonight,he thought irritably,with a date that would hopefully end in a snogging session,maybe something more if he played his cards right,and here was Seraphina Snape,trampling on his carefully laid plans with her low-heeled blue pumps that encased her petite feet.That happened to be standing _far_ too close to Rosier's to his dislike.Unbidden,plans for hexes and jinxes came to the forefront of his mind,of how he could eradicate that smug smile as he twirled Seraphina across the dance floor. 

Her royal blue dress draped elegantly on her body as she moved with sinuous grace and Sirius noticed many an appreciative gaze-mostly male,surprisingly some females- rest on the witch,as she was dipped by Rosier.'Scratch that',he decided.He would venture the Black library to find a curse suitable enough to blast Rosier's face along with his lips as he dared to touch them on _her_ left clavicle,causing the flush on her face to travel down her neck and reach her chest.Sirius' eyes flashed dangerously.

'And what a chest it was',he thought.Seraphina Snape had certainly done some growing in the summer and filled out those baggy school robes nicely.He had cought glimpses of her in Narcissa's wedding in the summer,but clearly not enough to have the full picture.'And it most deifinitely was full',his mind strayed again as he glanced at her bum and thought it would fit very well indeed in his hands as he imagined himself devouring her lips while alone in a broom cupboard.'No',he shook his head.If they were ever to kiss it wouldn't happen like that.Especially the first time.

His mind tripped as his eyes climbed all the way up from her bottom to her elegant back with glossy black hair and to her face with those lips he had fantasized about countless times snce third year.They were painted red-Narcissa's gift lrobably-,making a stark contrast to her pale skin that had acquired a creamy flush,that made Sirius's mouth begin to water.He took a swallow of the now lukewarm eggnog and bit back a grimace of distaste.'This isn't what she would taste like',he mused.

No,she would taste sweet like those peach slices he had watched eat for dessert after every meal,with a trace of the honey she slthered on her toast and swirled in her tea.Padfoot growled with hunger in his mind,making him jump slightly.He averted his attention and went to get a new drink,hoping they would have something strong and maybe a snack while at it.

He didn't know why his animagus side was so vocal inside him,as James hadn't said anything of the sort and Peter certainly hadn't.Prongs had only exclaimed in irritation about having to navigate the low branches that kept getting cought in his antlers and Peter kept gushing about the change in perspective and how bigger and scarier everything looked in his rat form.He had laughed off their curiosity about his canine form,saying how everything smelled so much more intense and his his duochromatic vision made everything feel like a painting.

Which was definitely the truth,but not the whole truth,and Remus's knowing amber eyes after the first full moon they all spent together revealed he had known Sirius was omitting something too.Was it a canine thing?Those impulses,those insticts? He wondered.He had caught himself trying to identify scents while in human form,his mind going down rabbit holes of inconsequential matters while he was supposed to pay attention in classes.

'Or was it something darker', he forced his mind to think.Something to do not with his form,but with the Black blood swimming in hs veins.He knew that there was Metamorphmagus blood somewhere in their ancestry,regardless of the fact that no one had been born with the power in two hundred years.Well,until now,he though with wry amusement as he thought of Andy's daughter.A half-blood with that coveted Black power proving those elitists wrong.He did not know if those genetics interfered with the animagus process and it wasn't like he could ask McGonagall for tips on do's and do not's on how to be an illegal Animagus.

No,definitely would never mention this to any of his friends,not about how he felt the desire to transform into Padfoot and maul the people that messed with him,not even for serious matters either,nor about how there was one certain student Padfoot had been chomping at the bit to chase.The scent he had identified as prey from the first moment he caught it in the Forest while exploring with James and Peter,a scent that led back to the castle and to the dungeons.The smell of honey and peaches and cauldron smoke,that had teased his dreams until he woke up outside the Slytherin common room,on the other side of the wall,scratching at it with his nails.Human ones at least.This time,he thought with dread. He had rushed back to the Gryffindor tower with such speed and panic,he was surprised no teachers or prefects caught him due to his carelessness.Had Padfoot's insticts help him sneak to the dungeons? He contemplated.

He would have to ask Moony how he did it,being in a castle with hormonal teenagers all reeking of frustration and arousal and surrounded by a forest with smells that tantalised you to explore.Or maybe he could procrastinate and see if it went away on its own.He felt the press of fur beneath his skin and resigned to ask Moony as soon as he mustered the courage to do so.'Those spuds look delicious' he decided,and picked one with melted cheese on top.

He turned as the song finshed and everyone clapped,mid-chew,caught his brother eyeing Seraphina with an interested look in his gaze.He started chomping ferociously.He refused to consider his brother as an opponent.Or prey to his Padfoot.His steely eyes roved the room and caught other boys looking at Seraphina appreciatively,eager for their turn.No,Padfoot would have to eat their faces first before going for his brothers'.

The pair walked off the dance floor and was headed to the buffet table when Rosier was intercepted by Slughorn,attempting to make connections between Evan and an older wizard,Charms master,Sirius deduced by the robes.Rosier turned to Snale wth an apologetic smile,but she waved him off and headed to where Sirius was standing.He turned back around and swallowed,an act more difficult now due to his dry throat,because he had gotten a whiff of honeyed peaches and smoke that made Padfoot's head perk up in his mind.

Her eyes narrowed when she saw him,but she ignored him and proceeded to pour herself some chilled water.Sirius,who usually found her dismissive attitude irksome,took the opportunity to admire her surreptitiously from close.He noted her long lashes shrouding those eyes that could lit with a proud fire in them whenever she got a spell right the first time,which was nearly always.Or with anger whenever he messed with her and teased her.His eyes stroked the jet mane tumbling near mid-back in straight waves and reflected the light like an onyx mirror.He turned back to her face and traced its contours with a soft look in his mercury eyes.'Narcissa certainly knew what she was doing when she picked Seraphina as one of her projects', he admitted reluctantly.There was a beauty there that was rare.A black diamond,he snorted.

He continued down her face to her neck and the necklace that adorned it and froze.He didn't want to accept what he was seeing.No,it was impossible.Rosier would never...But then,the truth was staring at him face to face.Or rather face to bossom.All evening his temper had been simmering.Her presence and _her_ laughter and _her everything,_ had teased and taunted him until she had roused even Padfoot from his slumber.He was content to let things be in this weird impasse they had achieved since the summer,and keep his distance from her since that night in the dungeons,but now he realised he had been too slow.

Padfoot's hackles rose,along with the soft thin hair on the back of Sirius' neck,when he felt the irrational sense that somebody had enroached on his territory.The fury rose in him.It didn't make any sense.In a rare fit of accidental temper for a sixteen year old,the pitcher of cranberry juice in front of Sirius shattered,along with the glasses stacked next to it.Snape had frozen with her hand covering her face and as she turned incredulous eyes at him,he flushed and stalked off.

Sirius retrieved his date and after a brief apology to Slughorn about the mess they were gone,leaving the party to resume their revelry.

He had a dark curse to invent,just for Rosier.He mught have to ask Bella for instructions.She would be thrilled.

*

He wasn't ready yet to return to the dorms.He'd done his gentlemanly duty and escorted her back to her blue and bronze tower,despite her disappointed face.His friends were expecting him to stay out late and return after he had had his fill of the ravenclaw.Linda or Lena,something like that was her name,although it didn't make a difference to him whatsoever.None of them were distracting enough,or clever enough or sharp-tongued enough to hold his attention for long.Not anymore.

He unconsciously drifted towards the stairs to the dungeons.When did he get so consumed with Snape?Was it their petty childishness in first year,that led to the throwing verbal barbs at each other?He remembered staying up late some nights just so he could practice better comebacks,or to ruminate the cleverness of her insults?

Or was it the second year,when they had returned,and although he refused to admit it,he had looked for her,and to his disbelief had found her chatting amicably with his brother.His baby brother Reg,who he had talked to about the vexing slytherin girl who competed with him in every class and even bested him at some.That was another point to their contention.Reg's and Snape's friendship had caused him to up the ante to his barbs and start using magic to make the girl pay attention to the elder Black brother.In return,she had gotten payback by framing him for pranks he hadn't caused and stuck closer to Reg and Narcissa,who had taken her under her wing and had adopted aunt Druella's imperious sneer whenever in his presence.She clearly thought this behavior beneath someone who would one day be the Patriarch of her House.Reg was getting in a snit as well whenever Sirius used magic against Snape,so he mostly chose to throw cutting remarks at her instead of jinxes and hexes.

He would always remember the day Slytherin and Gryffindor had a quidditch match,in third year,and he in his newly acquired Beater position had looked to the stands and saw her focused intently on the Slytherin players.He followed her gaze and saw it resting on Rosier,a Chaser for them.He made sure his aim hit true after that and every other game they had against Slytherin.Rosier had to spend a week to let his femur sew itself back to one piece after that first game.Although it didn't work in his favour now,did it?Snape and Rosier were clearly a couple.Or,he bet,that's what Snape thought.She obviously didn't know what the necklace meant,or Rosier would have been found strung from his intestines at the Entrance Hall.More likely used for potions ingredients though.

Sirius knew she was using the Forbidden Forest as her personal apothecary and admired her spunk.Her potions always were the best for it,due ro the freshness of the materials.He had caught her scent around patches of herbs and nests of hostils bugs and critters,as Padfoot was traipsing around the Forest.It was dangerous even for grown wizards and here she was,a slip of a girl braving on her own.Without even Evans as backup.Not that Sirius would ever refer to Seraphina as a weakling.

He had snuck out behind her at the end of fourth year one early weekend morning,when they had finished the Marauders' Map,and caught her running in circles around the lake,not an insignificant feat.He was grateful he had the forethought to bring his broom along.She did two circles before she headed to a clearing and Sirius followed helpless to his curiosity.He saw some trees had been brought down and cut to pieces,in various shapes and sizes,although Snape was gazing at target shaped one.She leant down to were she had deposited a satchel and removed,to Sirius' bewilderment and fascination,a bunch of wicked looking knives.She danced two of them in her elegant hands,and then with a sharp movement embedded them to the target's center with a loud thunk.Sirius quickly flew off back to the castle,questions and speculationscreating a vortex in his mind.

She would want to know the truth about Rosier's intentions.He took out the Map from his pocket.He had initially to avoid the teachers and prefects on the way to the dorms,but now he focused on finding Snape's dot.

Greenhouse 2.Excellent.He took off.

Tbc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have 3 choices of how to continue.With lord Voldemort causing angst,politician Tom Riddle inspiring intrigue or focus on Sirius and Seraphina with a different plot.
> 
> Let me know what you guys think.


	6. 5th year Slug-club Christmas Party part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth is rarely pure and never simple.  
> -Oscar Wilde

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still Sirius' pov.

Hi eyes were smoky as he was watching her prepare a concoction without saying a word.

Oh,she knew he was there.He hadn't been silent as his feet sunk into the gravel outside where snow had started to fall,or when he opened the glass door with a rusty shriek of its hinges.Her back had straightened and her hand had briefly palmed the outside of her thigh,before she continued throwing ingredients to the cauldron in front of her.He wondered if that's where she kept her knife or her wand.

Finally,she finished with her motions and stood still,not turning around to look at him.

"Get out."

"I have something to tell you.Something you should know." He started moving closer to her.

She scoffed."I have no need or desire to hear anything you might say,tonight or any other night or time of day.So kindly,piss off." She turned to throw him a narrowed eyed glare as she got up.

"Did Rosier give you that necklace?" He flicked an eye at the offensive jewelry.It was laying on top of the green scarf she had wrapped around her neck.The little silver medallion sparkled merrily.

"What part of piss off failed to pierce your thick skull?My business remains that,mine.I don't owe you anything." Her cheekbones started getting a deeper glow than what they alraedy had from the cold.Even wrapped in cloaks the greenhouse was getting chillier by the second.He kept advancing on her.

She had wrapped a thick winter cloak over her dress,but he kept catching glimpse of azure color as she began to inch sideways from him.

"He wouldn't have told you," he decided."He doesn't have the balls." Her face changed from irked to bewildered.

"What are you on about?" She pressed,her sable orbs probing his foggy gaze.He swallowed and dropped it to the necklace.Her breath had washed over his face,along with the scent of honey covered fruit.He absently noted that her lipstick was gone,her lips a deep soft mauve.Padfoot stretched like a cat in a sunbeam.

 _"This,"_ he sneered at the necklace,"is what is known among pureblood men as a _Mistress_ necklace.They give it to the women they take as lovers,and it works in different ways.Some use it as an emergency portkey to whisk them away if their wife happens to be near them,others use it to cloak their lovers presence,again if the wife is approaching.It used to be popular in the past,with the arranged marriages and stuff,but more people marry out of love now,so it has become a relic.

Except for the old families of course,who still believe in the old ways.Rosiers are one of those families." And the Blacks,he mentally added.He certainly hadn't escaped the tutoring on how to conduct forbidden rituals and practices.He turned back to the present.

He noticed with alarm that her eyes had a sheen to them,that was usually a prelude to tears if his knowledge of female psychology was right.She was still looking up at him,although her eyes had a distance to them,as if her mind was miles away.Her mouth,though pursed,was trembling slightly at the edges.He definitely knew what a girl with crushed emotions looked like,having caused many times on the Hogwarts female population,he reflected with some guilt.

Suddenly,Snape shook her head and focused on him.She gave a shake of her head and stood even straighter than was possible.The top of her head was still inly reaxhing his chin.

"It looks like I do owe you something.Much obliged Black.I trust you know your way back to the castle." She made a move as if to turn away from him.He stopped her with a hand on her arm.Her muscles tensed.

"Wait,that's it?I tell you Rosier is making a fool out of you and you have zero response?You made me bald for three days last year when I only threw gum at your hair." He shuddered with nausea.He had to sneak to the Indirmary under James's cloak to get help from the mediwitch.

She smirked with pride at the recollection,but her eyes lit with ourage.

"Gum?Is that what you call a sucker from the Giant Squid?", she snapped at him."And not a small one either.I had to use the last of my muscle relaxing potion to detach that thing from the back of my skull.You deserved everything you got!", she ended with a shout.

He studied her with intensity,but his eyes were crinkled as the faint audio memory of sucking and girl screeching with horror flashed through his brain.

"And what about what you deserve?",he started again more softly."Rosier is never going to give you a ring."

She mockingly laughed at him."We are a bit young to worry about such things,don't you think?"

"Rosier's parents don't seem to think so.I heard they are drawing marriage contracts for him.They are looking for foreign brides,to the last of my knowledge."

Her face went lifeless.He forced himself to carry on,because he wanted her to understand.He pulled her closer.

"I would-You could-You deserve better that what he has given you." Both of them ignored the jewelry,concetrated on each others' expression.Her eyes glittered,not with mirth but with sorrow as she gave him a bitter smile.

"We accept the love we think we deserve.",she countered,her voice sounding lightly choked."Not all of us get to feast on Life's luxurious table,Black.Some of us have to scrimp and scamper around it for scraps." She finished with a faraway look.

Hos heart lurched in his chest at that despondent tone in her voice.He wanted to soothe but didn't know how.Padfoot whined inside him.He settled for lowering his face to hers.Her eyes widened.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?",he closed his eyes as he lightly touched his lips to her forehead,down her nose,and then finally with a deep inhalation thay sounded like a growl closed his mouth over hers.

She was stiff for a moment,but then he wrapped his other arm around her waist and dragged her closer against his body.The heat of his body made her melt on him and she breathed a soft moan,that he took as invitation to slip his tongue into her mouth.She closed her eyes in bliss.

Her hands came up to his shoulders and gripped him there when she lightly sucked on his tongue.His chest rumbled and he pushed her against the edge of the table behind her.She squirmed when she felt something hard poking her in the belly.

Neither of them noticed the silver necklace lying in the dirt,having fallen at the first touch of their lips.

Said lips were doung a valiant effort at trying to dominate the other pair.The heat their bodies were generating was turning the windows foggy.Sirius had taken his hand off her arm,and wound his palm in her tresses,pulling back her head and allowing him to dive deeper into her mouth.

Seraphina on the other hand,had slipped her palms down from his shoulders and into his winter cloak,seeking shelter for her icy fingers.She ran them down his muscled chest and settled them around his waist.

It seemed to Sirius that he did manage to score a snog tonight,albeit not with the girl he had went out with.At that sobering thought he slowed down his motions.

He gentled his mouth and started sipping from her lips instead.He didn't want Seraphina to think he was a cad or believe he was only after one thing.Given his behaviour towards her or his frequent dating in Hogwarts,she would have grounds to think so.

He went to nuzzling her nose and cheek.She did smell like peaches,he thought.And something else,herb like,probably due to her business in the greenhouse.His mouth certainly was savoring her taste.She held the unmistakeable flavor of cranberry juice.She must have managed to grab a glass before he shattered the pitcher,he thought.He managed to gather enough strength to pull himself away.

He opened his eyes and took a peek at her.The sight almost undid him.

Her hair was mussed from the hand that was still sunk into them.He flushed and reluctantly pulled it away.Her eyes held a dazed look that was starting to fade as the chill air snuck between them.And her lips. _Merlin,her lips._

They had plumped even more from their kiss and had a glistening look to them that enticed him all over again.She lightly run her tongue on them and Sirius felt a lick of fire travel down his spine.She was taking in his taste.

He cleared his throat as he gathered his thoughts.

"Right," he croaked.He swallowed and tried again."Right.What were we talking about again?" He looked at her perplexed.

"That Rosier is a dick and that I deserve better?",she droned,her midnight eyes starry with amusement.

"Right...Well,he is...And you do." 

"You should go back.I'm sure your friends will be wondering where you are." For once,he accepted her dismissal and turned on his heel.He noticed,grudgingly,that his knees felt weak.With an affected causalness that fooled neither of them.

He pasued at the glass door.

"Good night,Snape."

A brief pause and then softly."Good night,Black."

All the way back he felt like he had sipped on the Elixir of Euphoria.

*

Of all the Christmas gifts Sirius received the next morning,the news that Rosier had to be hospitalised due to an unnamed hex that turned him pink with scales,would always be the greatest.

That and the fact that Snape shot him a small smug smile when she sat down for breakfast in the Great Hall in the morning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what this was.
> 
> If anybody has plot suggestions I'm all ears.


	7. Seraphina's first year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seph's pov about first year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an idea on how to build this story and I'm going to mostly breeze through their first years in Hogwarts,as the juice starts happening after their fifth year christmas.
> 
> That said,I have to create some backstory,as to what is it that made Sirius so obsessed with Seraphina and how she became so entagled with the Blacks.

Hogwarts was everything her mother had said it would be and more.

From the grandeur of the castle as they crossed the lake,to the moving staircases and talking portraits,it seemed as if she was finally allowed to enter a world she had only glimpsed at from the outside.There was this seemingly feather-soft aura,as Seraphina walked through the entrance,an almost inexplicable sense that the castle was alive,a home that was welcoming its newest children to its hearth.

Maybe a millennium of magical beings living and learning within its walls had left a deeper imprint than most thought.

She would have to look deeper into that as soon as she returned from her summer holidays,she promised internally,as she settled next to Lily for the train ride home.

*

Seraphina's first year wasn't anything remarkable in and of itself.

She was sorted into Slytherin,like she wanted,and ignored the ramblings of the sentient(?) hat that tried to convince her otherwise.She might have considered Gryffindor to be with Lily,if Black and his new friends hadn't also gotten there.Ravenclaw was the house she contemplated the most,fot its value toward knowledge and its pursuit,but she decided they were too much of sticklers to the letter of the law than the actual meaning of it for her liking.

She refused to give more than a passing thought to Hufflepuff.She wanted to be taken seriously.

Her dorm was as lush and luxurious as she expected,if a bit chilly,and she only has to share with two other girls,a Yaxley,whose first name she didn't catch and a Fawley,whose first name was Philandra.They both seemed friendly until they heard her muggle last name and cooled down their approach,Yaxley more than Fawley.'As if it was her fault she wasn't one of the sacred twenty-eight',she thought derisively.

Her classes were engaging,some more than others.

She impressed Slughorn with her knowledge of potions and poisons on her first week,earning her House many points,which softened their cool attitude towards her.Whatever,she hardly was the first half-blood in Slytherin.She excelled in DADA and Herbology,which also happened to be subjects her mother had taught her about at home.

Unfortunately,while she may have been slightly less skilled in Charms,she didn't lack the brain and the willpower to keep up,which landed her only a little behind Lily,who seemed a natural.

Furthermore,Transfiguration was the subject Seraphina was truly lacking.Having spent her first decade of her life around muggles and attending muggle schools,she struggled to compromise her knowledge from them and the one taught at Hogwarts.So many things deemed impossible by muggle standards,were possible with only a flick of a wand and an incantation,which seemed to be the reason many muggleborns were struggling in Charms and Transfiguration.She would really have to double down and study hard if she wanted to get more than acceptable grades on this subject.

A subject that most other half-bloods and purebloods seemed to breeze through with only minor struggles,as witnessed by Black and Potter who started to make spectacles of themselves and didn't look inclined to stop anytime soon.

And that reminded Seraphina of the less than stellar quality of Hogwarts.

Its people.

*

While her House may have had half-blood and muggleborns before,and some that became quite famous,that didn't mean they were all open arms to welcome more or accept muggle-brought traditions to their midst.

Her saving grace in the snake pit was having made a good impression on Lucious Malfoy on their train ride,due to her extensive knowledge of magic and potions and somewhat on Lily's blurting out about Seph's mum being a witch.When Lily had said about "Mrs Eileen teaching them potions at home",Lucious's eyes had glimmered and he inquired if her mother's last name had been Prince.

Seraphina had lost the smile she had been engaging him with,as she reluctantly replied yes.He was very friendly after that and kept that attitude all of Seraphina's first year.But she wasn't fooled.She knew Slytherin was about making advantageous connections and that her mother had been a very promising potioneer in her day.Lucius more likely wanted a future Potion Mistress in his pocket.She had her own ambitions,so she wasn't going to reject his friendship just yet.

The only problem so far with Slytherin was that Lily wasn't there.No,she was in Gryffindor with the brave and the outspoken.Come to think of it,that's where Lily really belonged.They managed to make time to study together and explore the castle together,but they still pursued their own interests.

Or at least they tried.They were mostly left to their own devices,except for Black and Potter,who were tailed by Lupin and Pettigrew.Potter seemed to take objection that Lily was spending her free time with a Slytherin instead of her own housemates,and Black was...Well.

Seraphina sighed.

She didn't want to spend too much time thinking on Black.He certainly had a flair for drama,as their first meeting went which was quickly followed by his Sorting and then the rest of the year.

Even months later,and Seraphina would never forget the hush that blanketed the Great Hall when the Hat declared Sirius Black as a Gryffindor.

The Gryffindors themselves were stunned speechless that a Black was joining their table and even the teachers and some ghosts were looking on in disbelief.Black himself had paled a few shades as he strode to his table but seemed to gather his wits shortly thereafter.

However,it had been the Slytherins who reacted most interestingly.Malfoy and other older slytherins were visibly displeased,with a most notable example a young sixth-year girl,with black and white hair and a regal expression on her face as she glared daggers at Black.

Black himself only chances one look at the slytherin girl before he blanched and quickly looked away.Seraphina focused back on Malfoy who seemed to be patting her hand in sympathy.Maybe a Black relative?

Black though,looked to be enjoying his colors now as he made a nuisance of himself all year.He especially gifted his attentions upon the unwilling Seraphina.

She sighed more heavily.

He had spent most of their year trying to chase her down,something she wasn't allowing,and when that led him nowhere started using his friends to corner her as well.She didn't know how to get through his thick skull that she wanted nothing to do with him.

He unsettled her.His grey eyes followed her every move and there was always an infuriating smirk lurking on the edges of his mouth,usually being followed by an insult in her direction.Not that they landed of course.Her comebacks were far too sharp and her exploring with Lily made her very adept at evading him and his crew.And yet,he hounded her.

If he had been a slytherin she would know what to expect and how to treat him.There wasn't a shortage of purebloods or Heirs in there,and Eileen had taught the basics to her daughter.But Black looked to be trying to get away from all that.He was confusing to the extreme,and Seraphina,who was used to putting people into boxes and treating them accordingly,didn't know what to make of him.

So far,she had accepted two truths about Sirius Black.One,he wasn't interested in being like his family,as evidenced by his first year behaviour.And second...

Now she gave a short grunt,earning her a questioning look from Lily.

And second,he seemed to have some short of fixation on Seraphina.

She shuddered.

Lupin and Pettigrew reslectively didn't look too weird in comparison.Lupin was a very studious boy with some sort of ailment that she didn't care enough to deduce,and Pettigrew reminded her of Malfoy's little sycophants,Crabbe and Goyle,always following their betters.'Gryffindors weren't that different after all'.She snorted.

"Are you alright,Seph?", Lily asked.

"I'm just wondering how my father is going to react when I tell him I slacked off on my training this year",Seraphina replied.

Her father had been very insistent on Seraphina knowing how to defend and protect herself regardless of her magic and wasn't going to be very pleased she only did the bare minimum to retain her skills.He taught her what he could in the martial arts he had learned and was able to impart on a young girl.He also had to contend with his witch wife,who had her opinions on how to raise Seraphina.

But that was a thought for another day,she decided and settled back to her seat and opened a conversation with Lily about their upcoming holidays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seraphina's thoughts are more easy to write down for me.She feels very rational and cold logic,where Sirius feels more fire and bubbling emotion.
> 
> Safe to say,it will take time for Sirius to go over the walls that she built to keep him out.She doesn't like things she doesn't understand.


End file.
